LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – At age 18 George Schneider entered the army and now 74 years later he lives to tell his heroic story of World War II.

“Probably one of the most interesting six or seven hours was being one of the first Americans into Belgium,” said Schneider.

Schneider graduated high school and immediately enlisted in the Army.

While overseas, he encountered countless near death experiences.

“I ran over a landmine with a jeep. and there were two others with me and they were both killed so I was the lucky one,” said Schneider, “That’s a picture up there on that wall. It killed the captain in the front immediately and a friend of mine had his leg blown off. He was conscious but he died before the medics could get there.”

While in the military, he was forced to say goodbye to countless friends. One in particular he recalled.

“He was standing in this doorway of this home we had taken over for our headquarters,” said Schneider, “He said here’s a letter I had wrote for my mother I’d like you to make sure it gets mailed. So I didn’t argue with him, I took the letter and stuck it in my jacket pocket. Less thank 15 minutes since I’d been talking to him there he was. He was covered up with a GI blanket and he was dead.”

When Schneider was wounded during the landmine explosion, he says the medics found the letter his friend had given him and mailed it to the man’s mother.

After the war, Schneider called the family to make sure that they had received it.

After it was all said and done he decided to write a book on his experiences.

“First part from the day I was born. Covered what ancestor I knew and then early childhood. Lot of good depression stories which people won’t believe,” said Schneider, “And then when I got out of high school that’s when the war started so that’s the end of the first part. The second part is military and then the third part is post-military post-war.”

The book can be purchased on Amazon and Schneider said he’s honored to be able to share his story with the world.